In an emergency phone call made shortly before she killed for the second time, Nicola Edgington described herself as a "dangerous schizophrenic" who was at risk of harming others. The media reports that have followed her trial all seem to have taken her word for it. Let's not, they seem to have decided, focus on the terrible failings of one particular case but cast the net wide, interviewing others about the horrible crimes committed by "psychiatric patients". Because mentally ill people are dangerous, aren't they? And if they're not dangerous, they're potentially embarrassing and difficult to be around. That's why it's easier to just make up stuff about them.

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